Kate Norquay Oddacity is delightful, hysterical, and ridiculous. The show is a collection of circus, cabaret, and comedy sketches, each more silly than the last. It’s one of those shows that when you try to explain, you have to preface your description with ‘it sounds stupid but…’. Oddacity is the definitive ‘you had to be there’ show, and you do not want to miss out.
Corey Spence #UsTwo is a poetic journey through sisterhood, feminism, and the expectations imposed on women told reflectively from the lives of theatrical and political powerhouses, Sarah and Catherine Delahunty. In combination, they create a show that is both theatrical and political, and one that certainly is a powerhouse in its own right. They are joined by Ari Leason on stage, who helps to punctuate the performance, observing the memories along with us but often joining the space to bring everyone to a new game, event, or part of their lives. #UsTwo dedicates its performance on opening night to Jeanette Fitzsimmons, former co-leader of the Green Party. Honestly, I think their ode to begin performance sets the tone perfectly for what we are about to experience.
Annabella Gamboni A mixed bag of comedy, poetry, and drag? Ah, it’s a Fringe institution.
Austin Harrison Esoteric is a touring show from Melbourne brought to NZ Fringe by Sneakyville Theatre Company. They take over Circus Bar for a verbatim piece exploring the ideals of real-life conspiracy theorists.
Ellen Morgan Butler If I could describe What’s the Purpose of this Project? (created by Potentially Playing Productions’s Evangelina Telfar and Marcus Jackson) in one word, I would describe it as lovely. Or cerebral. Or dreamy. But this project requires much more than just one word.
Lizzie Murray She has the wardrobe of Mrs Doubtfire, a heart of gold and the frightening energy of Suzanne Paul. She is Pamela Hancock, proudly brought to you from the vibrant city of Bulls.
Lilli Margaret If you’ve ever wondered how 50 Shades of Grey would go down if Anna was a pragmatic Gisborne born lass, what it would be like to live in a world where Sex Bots join the union, and if you tend to enjoy a healthy serving of interpretive dance, then Declarations of Love (And Other Useless Things) will be right up your alley. Written by Emma Maguire and co-directed by Anastasia Matteini-Roberts and El Yule, Declarations of Love (And Other Useless Things) plays with concepts of love, lust, sexual expression and gender in an eclectic menagerie of scenes.
Austin Harrison Lift Off is a showcase of young talent presented by Te Auaha for the New Zealand Fringe Festival 2020. It promises “tomorrow’s taste-makers live and firing on all cylinders” and it absolutely delivers. The showcase is a triple-bill of emerging artists demonstrating talent across all disciplines of performance. There’s song, dance, music, monologue, drama, comedy and even multiple languages spoken on stage. It’s an artistic smorgasboard which guarantees something for everyone and that’s what Fringe is all about!
Laura Ferguson “I hope that Alex Love comes back for the next Fringe Festival so I can learn How To Win A Pub Quiz again.” That was the closing line for my review of How To Win A Pub Quiz at last year’s Fringe Festival. I was pretty excited to go back and see Alex Love and find out if my memory retained the knowledge learned last year to hopefully win this time.
Sara Hirsch Magnus Steele is a masterclass in crowd work from an experienced improviser, which basks in the foggy film noir fantasy. A one-man show that changes every night. No mean feat, especially given that the man is almost entirely at the whim of the audience. It is the character, rather than the story, that holds my attention. But with lots of genuine laughter from the packed house and a few moments of absolute genius, this was an evening well spent.
Annabella Gamboni The Best Show in Town is at Your Place Every Night is a very funny, very lovely show about how things used to be.
Sara Hirsch If, as we are told at the start of this part-lecture, part-solo show, Dr James Wenley’s oppressive yet easily deconstruct-able, inherited Victorian desk is a metaphor; I cannot help but wonder what the desk I am writing this at says about this reviewer. All I will say is that I got it on sale from The Warehouse, it is questionably self-assembled but ultimately, it gets the job done.
Jenny Nimon Cockroach, written and directed by Melita Rowston and performed by Leah Donovan, sets high expectations with its full belt of accolades. The show was nominated for Best Performance in Melbourne Fringe, as well as Best Sound Design, Best Director, Best Cabaret Performer and Best Cabaret Performance in the Broadway World Awards in Sydney — quite the list. It describes itself as ‘an amoral revenge tale for the #MeToo generation’, and in its exploration of Kafka’s The Metamorphosis and Ovid’s Metamorphoses, Cockroach reclaims some of society’s better-known rape cases by rewriting the events in favour of the victims.
Austin Harrison Poe’d is an improvised play paying homage to gothic horror and it’s most well-remembered foreparent Edgar Allan Poe. The Wellington Improvisation Troupe (WIT) tackle a challenging form with gusto and courage and create a night of interesting theatre made up on the spot.
Annabella Gamboni Sisterhood: A Circus Celebration is a very fun, sweet 60 minutes that combines a what-will-happen-next circus flair with the best of disco girl power.
|